Spike-making machine



I. C. VAN FOSSEN.

. SPIKE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1919.

1,40Q, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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I. C. VAN FOSSEN.

SPIKE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILEDJUNEI2,191'9.

1 ,400,392, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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I. C. VAN FOSSEN.

SPIKE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1919- 1,400,392. Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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SPIKE MAKJNG MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1919.

1,400,392, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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I. C. VAN FOSBEN.

SPIKE MAKING MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1 919.

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I. C. VAN FOSSEN.

SPIKE MAKVING MACHINE. APPLKIATION FiLED JUNE I2 1919.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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SPIKE MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1919.

1,4005392. Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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Application filed June 12,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, lauin (J. VAN Fossnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Spike-Making Machines, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to machines for making spikes and its object is to provide a machine which is adapted to make spikes of all sizes and lengths and all of the various types, such as standard rail spikes, boat spikes, mine rail spikes and special track spikes with either standard or reversed points. My machine may also he used to make special shaped bolts. I

lln most cases existing machines for the. manufacture of spikes are only adapted to produce one particular type While thosewhich can he used for ditlerent sizes or types require considerable time to make the necessary changes in the machine. In my machine the changes in the tools required to adapt the machine to make different types of spikes may be effected in a few moments, so that the machine is universal in its adaptation to spike making. Moreover, l have gr atly simplified the mechanism of spike machines and have so correlated the operating parts that the output is very greatly increased over prior machines.

For the purpose of explaining my invention, I shall refer in the following description to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spike machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. t is a perspective view oi. the cutting tool'holder; 5 is a top plan view of the machine without the feeding device and with certain parts omitted; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6 of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 a gjierspective view of the cross-head connected to the cutting tool holder; Fig. Sis a longitudinal vertical section on the line SS oi. l ig. Fig. 9 a perspective view of the header; 10 is an enlarged detail sectional-view of the header hearing taken on the line Hie-10 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a transverse verticalsem tion on the line 11-11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the spike clamping tool; 13 is a transverse vertical section on the line 1313 of Fig. 2; Fig.1d is an Specification of Letters'Eatent.

other pair.

Patented Dec. 13, 1&21.

191% Serial 1110. 303,816.

end view of the spike machine viewed from the left side of Fig. 5; Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the kicker rod; Fig. 16 is a perspective view ot the cam shaft actuating the header and cutting tool; Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the cam shalt actuating the spike grippinglever,spike pointing tool and kicker rod; Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the toolholder for the pointing tool; F ig.'19 is a perspective of the bottom plate for the latter; Fig. 20 is an end elevation of the automatic feeding device; Fig. 21 is a vertical section on the line 21-21 of 2; Fig. 22 is a transverse section on the line 2222 of Fig. 20; Fig. 23 is a cross section on the line 28-23 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2% is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the operation of the pointing tool; Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the cutter and its holder or box; Fig. 26 is a fragmentary top plan view showing an auxiliary heading device cooperating with the heading tool; and Fig. 27 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2'l"-27 of Fig. 26.

The machine may be either direct con nected to the driving motor or be belt driven. I have shown the main shaft 2, provided with fast and loose belt pulleys 3, at and fiy wheel 5. The machine is provided, as usual with a cutting tool to cut the required length from the blank, a gripping lever, a header lever, and a pointing lever, which operate in proper sequence.

lhe header lever, 10, illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, is provide l with a forwardly projectingportion lO having a slot 12 to receivethe various header tools 11. The outer end is provided upon the under side with a hardened plate 1%, vhich engages the actuating cam 15 on the shaft The shank portion 16 is formed with an offset portion upon each end to provide a double set Of hearing seats 17, 18, within which are se-.

cured boxes 19, carrying bushings 20, to receive the pivot pins 21, mounted in cones 23 adjustably secured in a depending por-' tion 1 of the main frame 1. The angular movement and leverage of the lever 10 may be readily changed by shifting the pivot pins from one pair oi hearing seatsto the The cuttingv tool lever 26 is mounted to swing on the vertical pivot 27 and is provlded with a socket 28 to receive the cutting tool 29; The cutting tool lever is connected ice by the link 32 with the sliding cross-head 34 which is reciprocated by the eccentric strap 1nen1ber35 surrounding the eccentric 36 on shaft 2. The cover plate which is bolted to the top of the cross-head, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is omitted in, Figs. 5, 6

and 7. Cooperating with the cutting tool 29 is a stationary cutter 40, which is clamped in a slotted tool holder or boX 41. The cutter blade 40 and box 41 as well as the frame abutment 1 are beveled atthe proper angle to cooperatewith the tool 29 in severing a spike length 37 from the blank.

The bl'ank37 fed into themachine rests upon a ledge 43 on the stationary gripping blocks 43, which are removably clamped between the frame abutments 1 1 by the bolts 45. Cooperating with the gripping blocks 43 is a'gripping tool 47 carriedby the gripping lever 48, the tool 47 having a recessed or notched forward edge which engages the top and inner side of the spike blank 37 when the lever is advanced into ri in osition; g il li e gripping lever, shown in Fig. 12 is provided with an elongated shank 49, recessed at the ends to receive bushings which constitute bearings for thepivot pins 50,

upon which the lever is oscillated by the cam 52 on. the shaft 53. The outer endof the lever may be provided on the under side with a hardened wear plate 55. The shank 49 may be recessed as shown at 49 to permit ing the pointed end between the tool 61 and the reciprocation of the header lever 10, the side of the lever being provided with a notch 48 into which the front end of the header tool box 10 projectswhen in its forward position. The gripping tool 47 is removably held in the tool recess 48 by screws threaded in the tapped holes 57.

V Simultaneously with the advance of the lever 10 to head the spike 37, a pointing tool holder or box 60, carrying a pointing tool 61, is advanced by the cam 63, on the shaft 53 and. forces the end of the spike from the position shown in Fig. 24, into the final position shown in Fig; 5, thereby formthe beveled end of the box 41. The recess in theouter end of the heading tool 11, is of the proper configuration to give the desired shape to the head of the spike as is well understood.

When the spike has been formed in the manner described, the header, gripping tool and cutter are retracted as the cams are withdrawn and the kicker bar is' moved 1 push the finished spike off of the ledge 43% The pins. pass through apertures in the plates 43. 4 v f The automatic feeding mechanism forintermittently feeding the blank bar into the the machine is stopped.

spike machine is carried in standards 80. The lower feed roll 81 is positively driven while the upper roll 82 merely rotates in frictional engagement with the bar as it is fed forward. The lower feed roll is connected through gearing 83, 84 with a shaft 85 which carries upon its outer end a toothed ratchet disk 87, the latter being inclosed in a housing 89 formed of mating members bolted together and carrying a pawl 90 which engages the teeth of the ratchet disk 87. The housing 89 is loosely jonrnaled on the shaft 85 and is intermittently oscillated by means of a connecting rod 92, the opposite end of which is journaled on a pin carried by the slotted disk 94 on the end of the main this manner. the length of the spike blank fed into the spikemachine at each oscilla tion may be varied to suit the desired conditions, so that the machine can be quickly adjusted to make spikes of different lengths.

The blank bar which is fed into the guides 97 is grasped by the feed rolls 8i and 82 and at each forward oscillation of the housing 89 and ratchet disk 87 the blank is fed forward through the guide 98 and along the flange 43 of the plates 43 until'the end of the bar is adjacent the header. By positively driving only the lower feed roll. and allowing the upper roll t be rotated merely by the frictional engagement with the blank bar, the adjustment of the feeding roll may be arranged to over-feed the blank as therolls will slip when the part fed into The guide 98 may conveniently be formed of a pair of channel irons as shown in Fig. 23 and the inner end is yieldingly held in position by the spring 99 so that it may be permitted to yield laterally to accommodate the bending movement of the bar. as it is being severed by the cutting tool 29.

I have previously pointed out that the various tools in the machine may be quickly changed when it is desired to vary the size or shape of the spikes. in Figs. 26 and 27 I have illustrated a modification of the heading meohanism "which is especially adapted for standard spikes in which the head is usually offset to one side of the body of the spike. .I provide an auxiliary lever 100 shaped. substantially as shown and which is pivoted on a bolt'102 so that it may swing in a horizontal plane on the axis of the spike. The bolt may have asquared shank sothat it will be held from turning within the rectangular slot 104 formed in the base of the main frame the bolt having an elongated head 108 which covers the aper ture at all times. The bolt may be adjusted to different positions along the slot to vary the throw and angularity of movement of the portion which engages the head portion of the spike blank. The lever is provided with a suitable socket to receive the head-' ing tools 105 and is also provided with hardened wear plate 106 which is engaged by the header as it moves forwardly to head the spike. In this case the header strikes the lever 100 instead of striking the end of the spike blank and swings it on. the pivot bolt 102 which may be provided with a bearing bushing 107. The side motion of the heading tool 105, due to the swinging of the lever 100 upon the pivot bolt assists in forcing the metal of the head laterally to produce the offset head of the standard spike.

The operation of the machine will be understood from the foregoing detailed description of the structural parts. The end of the blank bar is inserted between the guides 97 until it is grasped by the feed rolls 81, 82, and is fed forwardly by the intermittent movement of the feed rolls which are actuated by the oscillating movement of the shaft 85 which is intermittently driven from the power shaft, 2 through the connecting rod 92 operating through the ratchet disk 87 an pawl 90 in the manner previously described. The pivot bolt 95 is adjusted along the guide bars 96 attached to the hous ing 89 until the oscillating movement causes the spike length of blank to be fed into the machine at each reciprocation of the connecting rod 92. The end of the blank rod 37 now rests on the ledge 48* of the blocks 43. The gripping lever t8 swings forwardly under the action of the cam 52 until the gripping tool 17 bears against the spike blank, clamping the latter firmly against the blocks 43, see Fig. 11. The cams 15 and eccentric 36 on shaft 2, next cause the header 10 to swing forwardly simultaneously with the movement of the cutter lever 26, thereby severing the spike blank from the bar and heading the spike. Following in sequence the pointing lever slides forwardly under the action of the cam 63, forcing the pointing tool 61 against the end of the blank in the manner illustrated in Fi s. 24 and 5.

Immediately thereafter the cams release the heat er and gripping levers and permit them to swing backwardly on their pivots. The pointing lever is retracted by a spring 60 which holds it against the cam 63. As this takes place the stud 66 on the disk 67 engages the lug 68 on the kicking lever 65 causing the latter to move forwardly until the. kicker rods 70, sliding through holes in the blocks 13, push the spike 0d of the ledge -13.

My machine is designed especially to per- 'mit the tools to bereadily changed and the throw or amount of periodic movement of the several operating parts to be easily and quickly altered to suit different conditions so that the machine may be readily altered to make different sizes and varying types of spikes. Y r

The heading tool in the header lever, the pointing tool in the pointer lever or box, and the cutting tool in the cutter lever, may be readily changed, while the throw or angular movement of the header lever may be altered by shifting the pivots 21 from the sockets 17 to 18 or vice versa. The stationary gripping blocks 43 and the cutter blade 10 and its holder 41 may be removed or replaced by loosening the screws 45. Likewise the amount of rotation of the feed rolls 81, 82 at each oscillation of the connecting rod 92 .may be varied by adjusting the bolt 95 in the guides 96. My machine is therefore a universal machine since adapted for making spikes of different sizes and lengths and different types such as standard rail, mine rail, track and boat spikes, special bolts, etc.

I claim 1. In a spike making machine, a gripping lever, a heading lever, a pointing lever, a

kicking bar lever, and separate cam devices for actuating said respective levers.

2. In a spike making machine as set forth in claim 1, the heading lever being provided with a plurality of pivoting means adapted to be connected to the machine, whereby the center of rotation and amount of angular movement of the lever may be altered as desired.

3. In a spike making machine, a gripping lever, a heading lever, a pointing lever, a

kicking bar lever, the heading lever moving in a plane at right angles to the movement of the gripping lever and the pointing lever, and interconnected drive shafts perpendicularly arranged and provided with cams actuating the heading lever and the gripping and pointing levers respectively, whereby each lever is actuated by a cam operating in direct alinement therewith.

4:. A spike machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cutting ofi lever is actuated by an eccentric on the drive shaft and is connected therewith by a reciprocating crosshead and a connecting rod or link.

' 5. A spike machine having a cam-actuate'd main heading lever, and an auxiliary lever pivotally mounted to move between the spike blank andthe main heading lever and lateral movement as the spike length is be.

' ing severed from thebar.

7 A spike machine having a cutting tool box or holder provided with' a removable 5 cutting blade and stationary blocks provided with ledges to support the blank bar as it is fed into the machine, said holder and said blocks being detachably secured in the machine frame, a cutting off lever provided 7 10 with a tool adapted to. cooperate with said cutting blade, and a gripping lever provided with a gripping tool adapted to cooperate with the ledge portions of said blocks to clamp the blank during the spike-forming operations.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

7 ISAIAH G. VAN FOSSEN. \Vitnesses:

' U. S. HU'rroN, W. P. WILSON. 

